The Drafting committee of the Indian Constitution headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had wide deliberations pertaining to the appointment of Advocate General. Those debates reveal that it was contemplated that the appointment and the tenure of the Advocate General should not be dependant on the vagaries of party politics.
In order to ensure the decorum of the office, it was decided by the constitutional committee that the Advocate General should not indulge in private practice. Further, the Advocate General had to be a lawyer of eminence and his office a bureau of legal advice with the sole duty and function to advise the Government. Paramount among the duties to establish and maintain a high level of competency in the legislative and executive structure of the Government. It was also envisaged that the Advocate General should appear only in crucial policy related matters and not in all cases just for the sake of remuneration. The Constitution of India mandates that a Governor shall appoint as Advocate General a person who is qualified to be appointed as a High Court Judge. Is the present Advocate General of Goa qualified to be a High Court judge? This is a question Mr. Subodh Kantak has to ask himself though the answer is obvious to all. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has also a lot to explain for having allowed the high constitutional post of Advocate General to blatantly and profusely bleed the State exchequer. “Satyameva Jayate”, the national motto of India does not seem to prevail. I will comment no further as the people of Goa are better judges. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
